Their Secret
by Abandoned Works
Summary: When Roxanne moved to New York, the last thing she expected was to get wrapped up in gang and alien wars. (STORY IS UP FOR ADOPTION, DETAILS INSIDE.)
1. chapter 1

**Hello! This work is abandoned. However, it is up for adoption, so if by the end of this you are inspired, feel free to check out my profile and PM me, and we can work something out :)**

* * *

"What do you mean, we're moving?" I asked, standing up from the couch.

"Roxanne, your father got a promotion! This is good," Mom said, also standing, trying to calm me down. "Sweetie, you're always saying how you want to go to New York."

"Yea, _visit_ New York _City_!" I shouted. "Not _live_ in _Manhattan_!"

"Darling, I know this is a bit sudden, but we've put it off long enough," Dad said, still sitting calmly in his chair.

"What do you mean, you've 'put it off long enough'?" I asked. "How long have you known?"

Mom and Dad shared a look. "Sweetie, we've known for a few months. We've been waiting to tell you, because we weren't sure if we were really going or not." My mom had fake sorrow in her eyes, and Dad wasn't even paying attention anymore. He was back to tapping on his phone, doing who knows what.

"When are we moving?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"I'm leaving this weekend, to make sure the new apartment is in order," Dad said. "You two ladies will follow, in about a week."

"What do you mean, week?" I screeched. "You're giving me a week to say goodbye to all my friends, and pack?!"

"See, we knew you would react like this," Dad said. "We'll talk more in the morning. It's late, you should go to bed."

I screamed in frustration, but went to my room anyway. Kelsi would not _believe_ this one.

 **}-**

"You're _what_?" Kelsi screeched.

It was the next day at school, and I had just told her about the sudden move. "Kels, calm down," I said, putting my hand over her mouth. "I have a week to take care of this. Don't worry. I'll just lie in front of the car or something." I smiled at her, waiting for her to laugh.

"Roxy, this is not a joke! And you did not just take that from _Are we Done yet_." Kelsi glared at me, clearly not happy. "We've been best friends since kindergarten. You can't leave me alone in freshman year, Roxy Anne."

I sighed when she used my nickname. It was the one that she had given me when we were kids. "Kelsi, it'll be fine," I told her. "If I move, we'll still be best friends. We'll just be halfway around the country from each other."

Kelsi hit my arm, hard, and she glared. "Roxanne, stop it. Why can't you take this seriously?"

"Kelsi, I hate my parents just as much as you do," I said softly. "And I'm going to do everything I can to stop them from moving."

My best friend sighed, looking down at me through her hair. Kelsi was taller than me, but who wasn't? I was the shortest person in my year, and it really didn't help that my best friend was the tallest. She was also blonde, and had bright blue eyes. She was very sweet, but loved drama and gossip. In a way, we are opposites, but we're sisters at heart.

She liked to keep things calm, and natural, where as I did everything in my power to get my parents mad. A month ago, I had went behind their backs, and got my hair dyed. It used to be brown, but now it was grey. It shined silver in dark lightings, and had only got me a raised eyebrow. It didn't look as terrible as I first feared, and my brown eyes looked darker than they actually were.

"Roxy, we were going to audition for the school musical this year!" Kelsi exclaimed.

"Kels, we auditioned for it last year, and we were put on the chorus," I reminded her. "Do you honestly think that we could do any better than that?"

The blonde gave me a blank look. "Roxy, you were a Van Trap child. I was in the chorus," she said, talking about _The Sound of Music_ that our school put on last year.

"Well... I'll turn eighteen in senior year. Maybe I could move in with you, or we could get that apartment we're always talking about," I smiled at her, and she tried to keep a stern look, but failed, and ended up laughing.

"You mean an apartment that we won't be able to afford?" she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure it'll happen."

"You never know." I winked at her, and closed my locker as the bell rang for classes. "The future can be a mystery."

 **}-**

When I got home, Mom handed me a box, and sent me to my room. Not having an excuse, I huffed, and took the box, stalking off, down the hall. I threw the box on the ground, and stared at it.

I didn't know where to begin.

We weren't moving for another week-or, if I could help it, never. So I couldn't pack too much of my clothes. Or jewelry. Or makeup, or hair products, or other bathroom necessities. I opened the box to find a roll of bubble wrap. I resisted the urge to pop all of the little bubbles, and started to wrap up all of my breakable items. I was extremely careful with my little glass cubes with laser engravings on them.

I had been collecting them for a while now. My first one had been given to me by my grandmother, when I was in sixth grade. It had the image of a little baby turtle, which I had been obsessed with at the time. My grandmother had also given me a ring when she gave me the cube. It looked like a little golden was wrapped around my ring finger. It was my most prized possession, and I never went anywhere without it. It was the only thing left of my grandmother, and I was determined to keep it safe.

It took a while, but in a few hours, I had all my pictures down, all my glass cubes wrapped up, and every other breakable item put away, stowed in a box. My room felt empty, and I didn't like it. All that was left on my walls were my framed posters for plays and musicals that I had seen in theaters, but it just wasn't the same. It didn't feel like my room.

By some miracle, I didn't have homework, so I went on my laptop, and logged onto Tumblr. I reblogged a few quotes and a recording of some girl doing a cover from Wicked, but I grew bored easily. With the internet no longer keeping me occupied, I shut my laptop and sighed.

Tomorrow was Friday, and Dad would be leaving to make sure the new apartment was ready for our arrival next week. If we were going to move, I wish it could have been over the summer. At least then, I wouldn't have to go to a new school right away, and be a total loser. But school had just started up a month ago, which meant that everyone had their cliques, and I would be the oddball of the entire school. I wouldn't make any friends - I was never good at that. The only reason I had started talking to Kelsi back in grade school was because she started the conversation. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now.

With a growl of frustration, I put my iPod on its dock, putting it on shuffle. The only songs I had were from musicals and Disney movies. The first song that came on was 'Defying Gravity', from Wicked, and I laid in my bed, closing my eyes. I might have been joking with Kelsi about how moving wasn't a big deal, but it was. I couldn't do this. I wouldn't last a day in New York, even if it is just Manhattan.

I can't. I won't.

 _But you can_ , a voice in my mind said. _And you will._

I slammed my pillow onto my head, wanting the strange voice to go away.

 _You'll be fine_ , it said. _A new start, a time to reinvent yourself._

"Shut up," I growled, my words muffled by the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm not gonna lie. I thought I was a genius. I thought that I would get my parents to stay, no sweat. All I would have to do is pull the puppy dog eyes, drop some fake tears and voila. I wasn't an aspiring actress just because I could stand in front of a crowd.

Apparently, they were really serious about this whole 'moving to New York' thing, because within the week, we had the house packed away, and were saying goodbye to our family and friends. Kelsi and I cried into each other's shoulders, refusing to let go.

"We'll Skype, right?" my blonde friend asked, and I nodded through the tears.

"And call me every day?" I asked her, wiping underneath my eyes.

She sniffled, and we embraced again, not letting go until my mother was trying to pry us apart.

My uncle was giving us a ride to the airport, and I was thankful that he was the silent type. Uncle Mark was a kind man, and I of course loved him, but we just never really talked, which meant that none of us were talking the entire way.

The sunny sky seemed to bid me farewell by showing me the beautiful cyan sky, with the sun blinding me.

"It's a wonderful day to fly, don't you agree?" Mom asked.

I glared at her through the review mirror, and shoved my ear buds in, cranking the music up. I saw Mom sigh, before turning back to look out the window.

No one said a word the rest of the way.

Goodbye, Colorado.

}-

The plane landed late that night, around midnight to be exact. Dad was waiting for Mom and me outside the airport, and when he saw us, he smiled, acting like a loving father.

"Hey sweetie," he said.

I stayed silent, and hopped into the front of the taxi that he had ridden here in. I slammed the door and the taxi driver gave me an odd look. I just slumped in my seat, pulling out my iPod.

"She's been acting like this since we left," I heard Mom say through the car door.

I huffed, and crammed the ear buds in my ear, putting the music on full blast. Sometimes I really hated my play list. Sometimes, when you're angry, you need more than Disney music to help calm you down.

I ran my fingers through my hair as my parents climbed into the back of the taxi, and the driver sped off towards our new house. House, not home

}-

The apartment was decent size, I guess. Two stories, three bedrooms, two baths, a study, a kitchen area, a living room.

I didn't pay attention to the colors or decorations of the rooms that I passed by. The first bedroom I found, I claimed. I slammed my door, and lay down on the blue comforter. I grabbed my phone to check the time back home.

Eleven thirty.

Kelsi was probably fast asleep. She was not a night person.

I looked out my window, and saw that I had a balcony. Well, I guess it was supposed to be used as the fire escape. I scrambled out the window, and sat down, with my legs dangling down, in between the bars.

My room was on the fifth floor. I wonder if that kind of fall could kill me. I remember a lesson in history once, when a guy during WW1 was poisoned, shot, beat up, jumped out a five story building, and thrown into an icy river. Rasputin, I believe. He survived... for the most part, anyway.

I heard whispered voices to my left, and I turned to see a girl around my age, with orange hair in a ponytail. It was dark, so I wondered if her hair really was that orange, or if it was the light playing tricks on me.

She noticed me looking, and smiled. "Hey," she called. "You must be the new family moving in."

I sighed. "Yeah," I said curtly.

"Erm... I'm April," she said.

"Roxanne." _Maybe if I act like I don't want to talk, she'll leave me alone._

"So, where did you move here from?" she asked.

I glared off into space. Couldn't she get the hint? "Colorado," I answered.

"That's cool," she said. "So why did you move here?"

"Dad got a job transfer," I said.

"That sucks," she sighed. "Did you have to leave all your friends to come here?"

I closed my eyes, and leaned on the bars. "Yeah."

April was silent for a little bit, and I thought that she had finally left. "So, when are you starting school?" she asked. "Are you going to Roosevelt High?"

I nodded. "I start tomorrow."

"So soon?" she asked.

I smiled. April may be pushy, but she seemed nice. "My parents insist," I explained.

"Maybe we'll have some classes together," April said hopefully.

"I hope so. Then I won't be a total stranger." I giggled a little.

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something moving in the shadows, and quickly turned, only to see nothing. I pursed my lips, and turned back to face April, when a loud crash was heard from the alley below us.

I jumped up, shrieking a little. "What was that?" I asked.

The ginger girl looked panicked, staring at the ground, but shook her head. "Probably some of the alley cats," she rushed. "It happens all the time."

I groaned, sitting back down. "Great."

She laughed. "What? Don't like cats?"

I shook my head. "Cats are fine," I said. "But if they keep me from my beauty sleep, I'm not a happy camper."

April laughed again, snorting. "You sound like a friend of mine," she said between chortles.

"Is that a compliment?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She seemed to really think about it, cocking her head to the side. "Hmm... maybe. Sometimes."

I smiled, and we both jumped when my phone started to blare. I looked at the screen, and saw it was Kelsi. I squealed, and turned to April. "I have to take this," I apologized. "But can we meet up tomorrow morning for school?"

"Sure," she beamed. "I'd love to!"

I grinned. "Thanks."

"No problem." She shrugged, then waved goodbye, going back though her window to where I presumed was her room.

I quickly answered my phone. "Kelsi!" I gushed.

"Miss me already?" she laughed.

"It's like eleven there, isn't it?" I asked. "Why are you still awake?"

"It's actually midnight," she told me. "And I was asleep, but I woke up due to a nightmare, and thought I'd call you, see if you were awake."

"Wait, midnight?" I craned my neck to look at the alarm clock in my room, and saw it was one in the morning.

I heard Kelsi chuckle, and could imagine her laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "Aren't you starting school tomorrow?" she asked.

I groaned. "Don't remind me," I begged, leaning against the brick wall.

"Why are your parents making you start so soon, anyway?"

I sighed. "'Cause they hate me," I griped.

"You must be tired," Kelsi hummed. "You usually don't complain about your parents 'till about fifteen minutes of talking."

I shrugged, and then remembered she couldn't see me. "Yeah, I guess I am. But I think the main thing is that I really don't want to go to school tomorrow."

"You're complaining? I have to go school tomorrow without my best friend too!" Kelsi stated.

"But you know people," I told her. "I'm on new territory."

I heard her sigh, and I smiled.

"Alright, I'll let you get some sleep for your big day tomorrow."

I frowned. "Fine. Bye, Kels."

"Bye Roxy Anne."

}-

The next morning, I was up at five. In the morning.

Shoot me now.

I dressed in torn up skinny jeans, a green-grey shirt with a studded white collar and matching cuffed sleeves with my combat boots. My eye makeup was heavy, as usual, and I wore a light pink lip gloss, that was almost unnoticeable. I straightened and teased my hair, and gathered my things.

"Honey, aren't you going to eat?" Mom asked, sitting on the couch, working on her laptop.

I shook my head. "I'm not up for it," I told her, pulling my black satchel over my head.

"You got everything?" she asked. "Pencils? Notebooks? Your schedule?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Ma," I said.

"Do you have money for lunch?" she asked, not even bothering to look up from her laptop.

"No, Mom, I forgot it in Colorado," I stated.

She nodded. "As long as you have it. I'm just trying to be a good mom, Sweetie."

"Look, Mom, there's an elephant in the street," I spat, glaring at her.

"Hmm?" she hummed. "Your father left already."

"You're unbelievable," I muttered, and there was a knock on the door.

I answered, and there was April. "Hey," she said, smiling.

"Honey, could you get that?" Mom called from the couch, and I huffed.

"Mom, I'm going to school." She nodded. "Then I'm catching a bus back to Colorado." Nod. "And running away to travel with the circus."

"That's nice dear. Have fun at school."

April looked at me with wide eyes, and I shrugged, following her out the door. She was wearing a yellow t shirt with a black, long sleeved undershirt underneath, with shorts, leggings and Ugg boots.

"So, erm, is your mom usually like that?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Usually it's worse," I shrugged.

She raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. She led me down the hallway and out of the building before speaking again. "Won't you have to check in with the office?" she asked. "And how did your parents sign you up for school already?"

I nodded. "My dad came a week ahead of my mom and me. He should have everything set up," I informed her.

"That makes sense, I guess," she muttered.

I shrugged. "I guess."

"So is moving, like, a normal thing for you?" April asked me. We were walking down the street, and thank goodness she was with me, or I'd be lost already.

"No. This is the first time. I've never left the state, let alone move," I told her, while trying to dodge out of people's way. "Is it always this crazy?"

"It's the morning rush hour," she explained, pulling me out of the way of some lady talking on her phone. At least, I think was. She was either talking to herself about some business deal, or on one of those Bluetooth things. Gosh, I hate those.

"It's going to take me a while to get used to this place," I sighed, and April laughed.

"It's really not that bad," she promised, turning a corner.

I saw the school, and I bit my lip. "Whelp," I sighed. "Here goes nothing."


	3. Chapter 3

School was, well, school.

April and I had quite a few classes together, though, so it wasn't as terrible as it could be. I learned that the ginger girl was actually really sweet, and was super smart. She was kind of an outcast at school, but to me, it just made her even cooler. Sometimes, she would start rambling about science stuff, and I would just stare at her with a blank expression until she started laughing at me.

She introduced me to two of her friends, Irma Langinstein and Casey Jones. Irma was just as smart as April, and Casey had the biggest crush on the red head, but I enjoyed both their company at lunch

The day seemed to fly by, and luckily, no one really said anything to me, other than to welcome me to the city. I just smiled politely, and moved on, not really paying attention. Apparently, the new kid gets lots of attention. _Great_.

When it was time to go home, clouds covered the sky, and April and I rushed back to the apartment complex, praying that it wouldn't start to rain on us.

"So, how was your first day?" April asked, as we dodged a jogger.

I shrugged, cramming my hands into my pockets. "Not as bad I thought it would be, actually."

She chuckled. "Did you expect everyone to attack you or something?"

"In Manhattan, you never know," I teased. "Aren't their supposed to be, like, gang rivalries and stuff?"

April tensed a little, and I raised my eyebrow. "Well," she started, glancing around. "There is one gang. But you just have to lay low."

"I wonder what would happen if I joined a gang," I thought aloud. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about anything." I grinned at her, but she just shook her head.

I scrunched my eyebrows, and we finally stepped into the apartment building.

"Roxanne, the Purple Dragons are... They're really bad," she said softly, as we entered the elevator.

"The Purple Dragons?" I snorted. "They can't be too bad with a name like that."

April just rolled her eyes. "Trust me, their terrible. And dangerous."

I just sighed, and when the elevator dinged, I stepped out, followed by April. "Anyway," I said, wanting to change the subject. "Did you get any homework? First day of school, and I have at least two hours' worth."

She laughed, and reached her hand out to the doorknob of her apartment. "Same here," she agreed, and then hoisted her bag higher up on her shoulder.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow then," I smiled, and entered my own apartment after her saying goodbye.

Mom was still in the same place I left her, sitting on the couch with her laptop. "How was school?" she asked, glancing up.

"Fine," I said shortly, walking into the kitchen, and searching the cabinets.

"I'll go shopping later," Mom called, and I rolled my eyes, before walking back to my room. The walls were brown, and the headboard to the bed was white. A matching desk and bookshelf were placed in the room, and a small closet was in the corner.

I dragged my bag over to the desk, and plopped it down, staring at it for a little bit. I sat down in the rolling chair, and spun around a few times, before finally forcing myself to start on the papers. My math class was a section behind my old class in Colorado, so it was pretty much review, and I got it done in no time. It was an hour later when I finally finished everything. Kelsi would just be getting home from school, so I sent her a text.

I then traipsed into the main room, where Dad was just now walking in the door, with a large pizza in his hand.

"How was work?" Mom asked, sounding monotone.

"It was fantastic," he answered, stepping over to kiss my forehead, and then went to kiss his wife.

I silently gagged, and stole the pizza box, grabbing myself a couple slices, and going back to my room. I checked my phone, only to see that Kelsi still hadn't replied. Lazy cow. She probably fell asleep again.

Someone must've brought some of my boxes in today, as they were all piled high against the wall. I groaned at all the work that awaited me. I just took my slices out to the fire escape, sat down, and started to eat, looking out over the city. The dark clouds from earlier only darkened, and gave me a weird feeling, but I ignored them.

"You like the fire escape, huh?" I heard, and jumped.

I quickly turned to see April chuckling me. "You almost made me drop my pizza!" I scolded, sending her a playful glare.

She just laughed, and walked over, so I scooted over, and handed her my other slice. "Finish your homework?" I asked, leaning back slightly.

"Yeah," she huffed. "Finally."

I smiled, nodding in agreement.

"You know, when I first saw you, I kind of expected you to be this hardcore biker chick," April confessed, and I laughed.

"Me? Hardcore?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "I'm a musical lover and Disney addict. I only dyed my hair this color because I knew it would make my parents mad."

"Musical?" April asked. "Do you like to preform?"

I nodded, grinning. "I always auditioned for the school musicals back home."

"You know, the school's putting on _Wicked_ this year," April informed me, and my eyes widened. "Auditions are in a week."

"Really?" I asked, excited. "That's my favorite!"

"I've never seen it," she confessed. "I've never been into musicals, to be honest."

"I'm going to audition," I decided. "Hopefully, I can get a decent part. Maybe Elphaba's sister, Nessarose."

April just chuckled, and rolled her eyes.

We both jumped, however, when my door suddenly opened, and we turned to look through the window to see my father standing in the doorway.

"Rox?" Dad called, looking around.

"Out here," I sighed.

"What are you doing out there?" he asked, and when he noticed April, he looked confused. "Who's this?"

"Friend from school," I told him, standing up, and climbing back through the window. I motioned for April to do the same, and she hesitantly followed. "She lives next door."

"Hello," he smiled, walking over, and offering his hand to her. "I'm Dan; it's nice to meet you."

"April," she introduced, shaking his hand.

Dad grinned at her, and then turned back to me. "Your mother and I are going out. Try to do some unpacking, will you?"

"Sure thing," I sighed, and after smiling at April once more, he left.

"You seem to not like either of your parents too well," the red head observed.

"What was your first clue?" I chuckled.

"You should cherish your time with your family, you know," she said softly, and sat down on my bed.

"I have four years with them still," I joked, sitting down next to her. "That's enough for me."

She gave me an odd look, and I regretted my choice of words.

"What's wrong?"

"You don't realize how lucky you are," April told me. "My mom died when I was a little girl, and my dad's... missing. I'm living with my aunt right now."

My eyes widened. "I'm so sorry," I said, and put my hand on her arm. "Are the police doing anything?"

She hesitated for a second before answering. "There aren't really any leads."

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"A few months," she answered. "I've been doing some of my own investigating though - along with a few of my friends."

"Anything?" I pressed, hugging my pillow to my chest.

She just shrugged, and shook her head. "It's complicated," she sighed.

Before either of us could say anything, her phone rang, and she pulled out what looked like a small turtle shell. I raised my eyebrows at her strange case, and she just chuckled.

"Hey, Donny," she said, and I crossed my legs, waiting. "What do you mean you-? Really? Yeah, I'll be there soon." She hung up and gave me an apologetic look.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I laughed. "It sounded important, so I won't keep you."

"Thank you," she sighed, clambered back out the window.

-{

Shortly after April left, the door opened, and I heard mom and dad enter. From all the rustling and banging, I guessed they had went grocery shopping.

Deciding to follow April's advice, I wandered out of my room to help them out the food away.

"The blog really is coming along nicely," Mom was saying. "I hope the client likes it."

"Your sis always look very nice, dear," Dad chuckled.

They hadn't noticed me come in yet.

"Yeah," I added, twirling my hair with nerves. "I mean, if it's anything like that site you made for that bakery, I'm sure this project will be great too."

Mom stopped halfway from opening a cabinet door. "You saw that?" she asked.

I nodded shyly. "I always make sure to check out your projects." I paused. "Well, except for that one business man with the racist bumper sticker. I ignored that one."

Mom laughed, actually _laughed_ , and I couldn't help but smile too.

For a while, we unloaded the groceries in a comfortable silence. And that's when things started to go downhill.

"Honey, don't you think it's time to go back to your natural color?" Dad asked. his head buried in the fridge.

"I'm going to audition for the musical," I said. "Depending on the part I get, I'll probably have to dye my hair then."

Mom and Dad shared a look.

"Honey, I kite how much you love to perform, and you're very good at it-"

"You've never been to one of my performances."

"-but it's time for you to focus on what's important. Do you even know what you want to do with your life?"

"I told you," I said, trying not to raise my voice, "I want to act. I know it's not the most stable future financially, but it's what I love."

"That's good, for a hobby," Dad pressed, "but you need to sit down and figure something better out. Starting with that hair."

The last part was mumbled, but his words still traveled across the kitchen.

I froze, and shot both my parents a glare. Mom glared back, and it took all my willpower not to flinch or back down.

"I'm going for a walk," I spat, and marched out the door, slamming it behind me.


	4. Chapter 4

The streets were dark, and for the first time since moving to New York, I realized why the back alleys were often the highlight of creepy news stories. People who walked by kept their head down, so I followed their lead and did the same.

Why was it that when I walked with April, the streets didn't bother me? When we walked home together earlier, we walked carefree.

 _Stop it_ , I thought. _Do you think Broadway stars walk around with their heads down? No._

Forcing my chin up, and painting confidence that I didn't feel on my face, I continued marching down the street.

Ignoring the people around me, I focused on breathing properly, and trying to forget the argument between my parents. I could do that. I could focus on other things, like my science homework assigned today, or the musical, or that weird shadow I just passed in the alley-

I froze. _Ignore it_ , I told myself. _It was a stray. It was a garbage can. Stop walking backwards, you idiot!_

My feet ignored my thoughts, and before I knew it, I was stepping into the shadowed alley. My foot kicked something, and I winced at the sound of an empty beer can sliding against the ground.

Three figures surrounded me before I could blink. One was a woman with blonde hair pulled into a high pony tail, and the other two were men, the one with the shaved head easily the biggest of the three, and the other with shaggy brown hair was scrawny, but his eyes looked crazy. The woman slapped a crowbar against her palm, the bald one cracked his knuckles, and shaggy held a knife that glittered dangerously in the faint light.

I gulped.

"Look what we've got here, boys," the woman cooed. "Is the little missy lost?"

My mouth opened and closed, searching for words, looking for an excuse. _You're an actress. Actresses lie. That's their_ job _._

"Actually," I said, praying that whatever BS that was about to come spewing out would be believable, "I was looking for someone. You look like his kind of crowd; think you could help?"

"A girl like you looking for a guy like us?" the bald one asked. "I don't see that happening."

"Oh, sure," I said, thinking back to my Drama 1 class. Improv. We didn't watch an entire season of _Who's Line_ for me to blank now. "He's tall. Like, really tall. Mohawk, um, never goes without his sunglasses. Maybe you know him?"

"Girlie, you gotta be more specific than that," shaggy chuckled.

"Oh, please," the woman griped. "Do you think we're stupid?" She glanced at the shaggy haired guy and shrugged. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

I glanced behind me to see that while I was stalling, the bald one had moved, so he was no longer blocking my exit.

"Well, I was hoping you were."

I sprinted, and at that moment, I realized why I was into the preforming arts instead of sports.

They caught me by the hood, and like I was a cat, I was lifted off my feet. The collar choked me a bit, and I struggled to loosen the strain.

"Look, all we want are your valuables," the woman said, stepping in front of me. "But you know, with a tongue like that, you wouldn't be too bad to have around."

I remembered the joke I made to April, about joining the Purple Dragons. Me and my stupid mouth.

"I don't have anything worth taking," I stated. "And I have no interest in joining the scumbags of New York."

She scowled. "You know," she sighed, "I kind of like this." She took my hand, and studied my ring. "My girlfriends birthday is coming up. She loves weird stuff like this." She slipped it off my finger before I could protest.

"No!" I shouted. "Please, no."

The woman's cruel laughter was cut short as a shadow dropped from the sky and took her out.

"It's those stupid turtles!"

I was dropped, and I scrambled to my feet, backing against the wall. Something slammed into the bricks beside me, and I screamed. A giant, green... _turtle_ sat there, rubbing its head.

"Holy crap," I gasped. "You're a turtle."

"Yeah, you're welcome, by the way," it growled. "You lost this." He (because its voice was definitely a guys) looked up, and the intelligence in his eyes was mesmerizing.

We both froze, and I used the moment to take in his bright green eyes that were partially hidden behind a red mask.

"Raph, any day now!" a voice shouted, and my eyes darted to the commotion that was happening around us. Three other turtles were darting in and out of the shadows, and now that I had an idea of what to look for, it wasn't as hard as earlier to pick them out.

Four mutated turtles had come to my rescue. Four mutated turtles with lightning quick reflexes and ninja weapons.

The world blurred, but luckily (or maybe unluckily) I didn't pass out.

"Hey, uh, girl?" the red clad turtle called. "You okay?"

"You can talk." Wow. Real nice, Roxanne. Of course it can talk.

His cheeks tinted pink, and his eyes hardened. "Look, just get out of here, okay?"

I didn't move from my spot against the wall, still drinking the scene in.

The turtle rolled his eyes, and shouted something to the other three. And then I was thrown over his shoulder, and we were scaling a building.

"Put me down!" I shouted. "This is a kidnapping! Stranger danger! Giant freaky turtle! _Help_!"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" the turtle growled. "Most people run when four turtles show up to save them from the Purple Dragons. Not sit there and watch."

"Sorry, but _Crying Victim #1_ was never my best role." I glared, until I realized what I had just said and done. "Holy crap, four turtles just showed up to save me from the Purple Dragon."

The turtle rolled his eyes. "You're a real Mikey, you know that?"

"What?"

"Listen, do yourself a favor and go home," he advised, running back to the roofs edge.

"Wait!" I shouted. " You can't leave me here on a roof."

"Oh yeah?" he snorted. "Watch me."

He jumped over, and I gasped, running over and praying that he didn't go splat.

But the alley was empty. There were no turtles. No gang members. Not even a hint as to what had just happened.

With shaky legs, I descended the fire escape back down to the street. I kept my head down this time. When something creaked in an alleyway, I sprinted.

I shouldn't have gone out tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Raphael recognized the girl immediately, and from Donny's calculating look, he did too.

From the street light across the road, her hair looked silvery white, like it did the night previous. April had said her name was Roxanne.

The minute the Purple Dragons surrounded her, the turtles tensed, prepared to jump down and save her.

But then, she started talking. Her once frightened features smoothed down, making her look calm and even a bit cocky. About halfway through her description of the guy she was supposedly looking for, Raph realized she was lying.

Apparently, so did the gang members.

Roxanne made a run for it, but only made it about two steps.

"Amazing," Donny said. "She almost got away with it."

"Admire her acting skills later," Leo ordered. "I don't think she can lie her way out of this one."

They didn't wait another second. Raph jumped from the building first, landing on top of the woman with the crowbar. Something flew out of her hand, and his fingers reached out to grab it without a second thought.

Roxanne backed up against a wall, looking shocked. The big guy grabbed Raphael by the shell, and he was thrown into the bricks. Dazed, he took a moment to rub his sore head.

"Holy crap," he heard. "You're a turtle."

He groaned. "Yeah, you're welcome by the way." He looked up, annoyed, but froze.

He always kind of understood Donny's attraction to April. She was a pretty girl, not to mention the only girl they had ever been in contact with.

But this girl was hot. She looked tougher than April, and her eyes screamed 'don't mess with me.' Raph liked the spark.

"Raph, any day now!" Leo shouted, and Raph jumped from his daze, realizing his brothers were still fighting.

He knew his brothers could handle it. Honestly, Leo was probably more concerned about the girl seeing them.

"Hey, uh, girl?" Raph called, careful not to use her name. "You okay?"

"You can talk," she whispered, and Raphael blushed.

"Look, just get out of here, okay?" His voiced sounded like a growl, and he winced at how harsh it sounded.

She kept staring, and didn't move.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yeah, this isn't happening," he muttered, then shouted to his brothers. "Guys, I'm getting this one out of here."

Roxanne didn't seem to process what was happening, so he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she shouted. "This is a kidnapping! Stranger danger! Giant freaky turtle! _Help_!"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Ralph growled. "Most people run when four turtles show up to save them from the Purple Dragons. Not sit there and watch." _What was wrong with this girl?_

"Sorry, but _Crying Victim #1_ was never my best role." There was a pause. "Holy crap, four turtles just showed up to save me from the Purple Dragons."

Raphael smirked. "You're a real Mikey, you know that?"

"What?"

They reached the top of the building, and Raph carefully set her down.

"Listen, do yourself a favor and go home," he advised, running back to the roofs edge.

"Wait!" she shouted. "You can't leave me here on a roof."

"Oh yeah?" he snorted. "Watch me."

He gave a mock salute, and dove over the side.

The Purple Dragons were gone, and his brothers were hiding on the shadows.

"What'd you do with the girl?" Leo asked.

"She's on the roof." Raph smirked to himself, earning an eye roll from Donny.

"Hey, what's that?" Mikey asked, pointing at Raph's hand.

Confused, Raph looked to what Mikey was pointing at, and groaned. He still had the ring.

Donny shushed them, and the four brothers watched as Roxanne climbed down the fire escape.

She looked around nervously before shuffling out of the alley.

"Raph, follow her, make sure she gets home," Leo ordered. When Raph tried to protest, Leo glared. "Maybe you can discreetly return her ring. She seemed pretty attached to it."

"Why can't Mikey do it?" Raph asked.

"I said _discreetly_ ," Leo pressed.

Mikey protested, but Raph had to agree. Knowing Mikey, he'd probably knock on the girls window and introduce himself before inviting her over for pizza.

Grumbling the whole way, Raph followed Roxanne from the roof tops, following Leo's order of making sure she made it home okay. At one point, Raph landed on a squeaky fire escape, and Roxanne _sprinted_.

Confused, Raph hurried after her, only stopping when he reached April's apartment. Carefully, he set the ring on the ledge, and climbed above to wait. When her light flipped on, he gently trapped on the window. Feeling rushed, he jumped up to a higher ledge, careful to avoid the lights on the top of the apartment complex.

It took a while, but the glass shot up like a bullet, and Roxanne stuck her head out. "April?" she called.

The ring was sent to the ground.

"Oh, for the love...," Raph trailed off, shaking his head.

Roxanne climbed out the window with a sigh, and sat down with her legs between the bars. Even with the distance, Raph could see her grip the railing, and her knuckles turned white.

The attack must have scared her more than he thought.

There was no way Raph could secretly return her ring. Not tonight, any way. And he couldn't just leave it on the ground for it to be picked up by a stranger.

If he didn't do something, Leo would say something annoying or dumb, and Raph was not sitting through a lecture.

The turtle leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of where the ring landed. Maybe he could pick it up, and return it tomorrow. It shouldn't be too hard to sneak away while on patrol.

There was a gasp, and Raph looked down, on alert. He had leaned right into the light, and his shadow cast down on Roxanne.

"It's you," she whispered. "You're the... the turtle that saved me."

Raph closed his eyes in defeat. "Oh, _shell_."


	6. Chapter 6

He looked panicked. Behind the mask, his eyes were wide, and he was still.

"Um... I know you probably don't want to be found out, so if you're here to kill me or something, please don't." I combed my hair back with my fingers, and nervously stood up. "I can keep a secret. And honestly, I'm new around here, so it's not like I could tell anyone even if I wanted to."

"You thought I was here to kill you?" he asked, and there was a small smile on his face. No, a smirk would be the better word.

"I mean, the way you took out those gang members, you probably could."

He chuckled, and jumped down, pass me, and landed on the ground. He picked something up, and then he jumped back up to my window. He sat on the very edge of the fire escape, and extended his hand.

Slowly, I accepted whatever it was he was offering. When I brought my hand back, I saw it was my ring.

"Oh my god," I gasped. "Thank you. I thought I'd never see this again."

"The plan was for me to just kind of drop it off and hope you found it," he mumbled. "Obviously, that didn't work out."

"That's okay," I said, smiling. "This way, I can thank you."

"Oh, uh, you're welcome," he stuttered. "But, hey, it'd be cool if you really didn't say anything about, you know, us."

I pretended to think. "You won't kill me, right?"

He rolled his eyes. "No."

"Alright then, Mr. Turtle," I nodded. "Your secret is safe with me. I'm Roxanne, by the way."

"Raphael," he greeted. He stared at his hands, occasionally glancing up at me. Wonder swirled through his iris', but he didn't say anything.

"Shouldn't I be the one with questions?" I giggled.

He smiled faintly, and stood up. "I should be going," he decided. "The others are probably getting worried."

"Right," I nodded. "Of course. The turtle prince must return home before sunrise."

Raphael paused, raising an eyebrow. "No wonder you didn't freak out," he smirked. "You're just as weird as me."

I laughed. "I must be," I agreed. "Hey, before you go... Do you... Do you just show up when a girls in trouble? Or do you make house calls?"

His face darkened with pink, and I _swear_ he nearly fell off the step.

"I mean, it's not every day you meet a giant turtle."

"Well, I, _we_ try to keep out of sight," he explained. "But, I mean, it's not always playing superheroes."

"Cool," I smiled. "So I'll write down all the questions buzzing around my head, and you can stop by when you have time."

He looked as shocked as I felt.

But he nodded, so I relaxed. "Sure," he said. "When I have time."

I didn't sleep that night.

Whether it was a nightmare or just my thoughts keeping me awake, I spent my night tossing and turning.

I had managed to write down a few questions, but I wasn't sure if they would be offensive or not. Asking about culture difference was one thing, but species?

It was a mistake. I should have done the sensible thing and ran. I should have screamed, run to the police, beg for someone, _anyone_ , to believe me.

But I didn't, and now I was curious. Instead of forgetting about it, or even ignoring it, Raphael had followed me home to return my ring. Which, okay, the idea of a giant turtle following me home wasn't exactly ideal, and quite honestly put a bad taste in my mouth, but it was still more than what a normal stranger would do.

School the next day dragged. I struggled to stay awake so my teachers wouldn't assume I was some slacker, but at lunch I opted out of food so that if I did drop, it wasn't into the chef salad.

"You alright, Roxy?" Casey asked. "You've been staring at your schedule for the last five minutes."

I blinked, and slowly looked up, realizing that my three new friends were giving me worried looks.

"Fine," I nodded. "I just... didn't get much sleep last night. Unpacking, you know."

Irma and Casey nodded, but April narrowed her eyes. "I thought you said you were waiting until the weekend to do that."

"Mom wanted a head start," I lied. "You know, she's one of those all work and no play moms."

"Of course," the red head said.

The lunch table was quiet after that, and I awkwardly drummed my nails against the table top.

When I thought my head would explode, Irma finally spoke. "Didn't you say you wanted to audition for the play?"

"Musical," I corrected, but nodded.

"Oh yeah," Casey grinned. "I saw a poster saying try outs were tomorrow, after school."

"Auditions," I said, smiling softly. "Thanks. I haven't seen any signs around, so I was starting to get worried. Are you guys going to audition?"

April scoffed. "If I get on that stage, I'll freeze. Performing arts aren't my thing."

"Awe, come on, Red," Casey urged. "It'll be fun! It's _Wicked,_ right? So, what, evil villains and awesome heroes? Main guy gets the girl?"

"You've got to be kidding," Irma sighed. " _Wicked_ is the prequel story to _Wizard of Oz._ It focuses on Glinda, the Good Witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Don't you ever read?"

"I play hockey," Casey pointed out. "I don't need to read."

"You realize you have to read the script, right?" Irma smirked.

"And show up for rehearsal," I added.

Casey scrunched his nose. "What if I have hockey practice?"

"Choose one," I shrugged.

He scoffed. "That's not even an option."

I chuckled, and rested my chin in my palm. "Just make sure you guys come see me, opening night. And I expect flowers."

April laughed. "We'll see about that."

Irma and Casey left a few minutes later, and I turned to April.

"So, was everything okay last night?" I asked. "You ran off in kind of a hurry."

April stiffened, and gave a forced smile. "There was a lead on my dad," she said, leaning in close as if afraid someone would hear.

"Anything good?" I asked, leaning in as well.

She shrugged, and her shoulders slumped. "It turned out to be a dead end, but any news is good news, right?"

I smiled sadly and rested my hand on her shoulder. "Of course," I told her.

* * *

 **And that's all she wrote.**

 **Like I said, this story is up for adoption. If you choose to adopt it, you do not have to follow what I have written. These chapters are simply to give you inspiration, so you can do what you want with them.**


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